Fossil Park

The profit centre of romantic geography presents fragmentary research results on the mapping work done on a secret scenic garden in a former oil port, on multidisciplinary analysis, on artistic description, and on renaming. In order to complete the pictorial representations, we wish to direct your attention to f.ex. the following factors:

In the definition of the overall character of the area we settled on the temporary combination of garden and a wilderness-like wasteland which possesses particular scenic values, leaning on f.ex. on the observations listed below.

– The fence of a closed-off zone divides it from surrounding everyday reality, emphasising the otherness and garden-like nature of the area.

– The demolition work that has been done, the scraping off of soil, and earth moving form the basis of garden-building. They create onto the landscape a scene-like, wildly romantic aspect, which leans on high cultural aesthetic inheritance, spawning a myriad of theatrical vistas such as miniature mountain motifs with ravines.

– The overflow pools built to stem oil spills and the pits left by demolished industrial structures, now filled with water and partly overgrown with aquatic plants serve as water motifs of the garden.

– The remnants of the earthworks which surrounded the oil tanks liven up the scenic park by acting as ruined scenes, adding to the landscape an allegorical character of the temporarily eternal.

– The round concrete bases of the demolished tanks form a cosmic terminal, tempting to the area visitors seeking the new and the unique, also out of the tourism flow of outer space.

– The small, forgotten forests between formerly built areas are nearly in a state of wilderness. They illustrate the era of the juxtaposition of garden and wild nature, but also our blindness to natural phenomena, themselves turning into parts of the garden as it were.

Renaming.

The most remarkable places and parts that were born through the removal of polluted soil and that are geographically new have been quickly renamed in the process of mapping. This reclaiming is still ongoing, and is challenged by the constant change in the landscape, while the demolitionistic building and destruction work continues. Some of the renamed locations can be found on the exhibited map sketches; due to problems of compatibility, we are unable to give the co-ordinates as yet.

An additional note by the underground division:

We have been able to study the remarkable underground spaces in the area only in a limited way. Investigations have been carried out for example in the so-called Mannerheim’s vss-cave – a tiny old air-raid shelter – which has later been blocked with huge boulders. The cave has got its name from the emergency dry toilets stored in the hallway, and also from the picture of Marshal Mannerheim gracing the room. In addition, in a far corner of the cave, which lies below the oil tanks, and is sufficiently cool, we found a selection of different non-evacuated, home-made berry and possibly compote-style fruit jams. They have been thought to contain so-called ‘Marshal’s Jam’.

Under the western cliff was found the so-called Small Naphtha Cave, from where lead filler pipes to a safety storage of fuels which lies deep inside the mountain. Since then, the entrance of the cave has been vandalised by welding the iron door shut.

The co-called Great Naphtha Cave which was meant as a security storage for crises, and which has been removed from service, has also been out of reach of research for now. The reason has been not so much physical barriers, but sensitive alarm and supervision systems which are so typical of our time.

For the Audience:

We recommend approaching the area by bicycle or public transport (Helsinki bus 88/end of line). Visits during office hours should be avoided. Other things to take into account: proper footwear, camouflage clothing and avoiding showing oneself to the personnel of the surveillance firm which monitors certain spots, and which circulate the area with irregular regularity. The condition of the armoured fence varies, but usually there are findable entrances. The so-called ‘reindeer fence’ cordoning off the ‘closed’ southern part is not for humans, and thus easily climbable. We would also like to draw your attention to the fact that conditions on the area change remarkably quickly.